By William Qualkinbush.
The National Football League is full of former Clemson players. Several of them had monster days in Week 5. Here is a recap of a busy football weekend for Clemson alumni…
Indianapolis 20, Baltimore 13
IND: Dwayne Allen 4 rec, 59 yds, TD
Allen was an integral part of Indy’s offensive attack, as usual, and he found himself with a handful of targets on top of his usual H-back work. The day included a six-yard touchdown catch and a 28-yard gain that led to another score. It was a sloppy game for both offenses, and Allen’s strong play may have been the difference between a win and a loss for the Colts.
Pittsburgh 17, Jacksonville 9
PIT: Michael Palmer 1 rec, 1 yd, TD
JAC: Andre Branch 1 solo tackle
Palmer was responsible for the only offensive touchdown of the game, catching a one-yard toss from Ben Roethlisberger late in the second quarter. Branch had a quiet game by his standards, but the rest of the Jaguar defense seemed to pick up the slack.
Cleveland 29, Tennessee 28
TEN: Charlie Whitehurst 13-21, 194 yds, 2 TD; 2 car, -1 yds
Coty Sensabaugh 5 tackles (4 solo), PBU
Whitehurst started in last week’s game and got meaningful action in this one when Jake Locker left in the first half with an injury. Whitehurst helped stake the Titans to a 28-3 lead before the Browns’ ferocious comeback, in which Tennessee was far more conservative in its playcalling. The former Clemson quarterback actually finished with a slightly higher QB rating than Locker in the game. Sensabaugh continues to play meaningful snaps in the secondary and had a productive game against Cleveland, once again.
NY Giants 30, Atlanta 20
ATL: Malliciah Goodman 1 solo tackle
Goodman’s performance went beyond simply the one tackle. He was consistent in setting the edge on running plays and made a significant contribution in the Falcons’ pass rush. He should continue to receive backup-level snaps at defensive end.
Buffalo 17, Detroit 14
BUF: Sammy Watkins 7 rec, 87 yds
C.J. Spiller 10 car, 8 yds; 3 rec, 25 yds
Watkins was the shining star for the Buffalo offense in the Bills’ comeback road victory. New quarterback Kyle Orton targeted him 12 times—more than any other Bills receiver—and found him in big spots all day long. Spiller didn’t exactly enjoy much success, but he played a bunch of snaps and continued to get reps in all four quarters.
Dallas 20, Houston 17
HOU: DeAndre Hopkins 6 rec, 63 yds
Ricky Sapp 1 solo tackle
Ryan Fitzpatrick continues to find Hopkins all over the field. The second-year receiver was targeted fewer times than Andre Johnson, but he had more catches and yards in the game. Sapp also continues to take advantage of his newfound opportunity to play in Houston. Despite the loss, both Clemson alums were noticeable out on the field in varying ways.
Denver 41, Arizona 20
ARI: Andre Ellington 16 car, 32 yds, TD; 4 rec, 112 yds, TD
Chandler Catanzaro 2-2 FG, 2-2 XP
Jaron Brown 1 solo tackle
Ellington had a decent day on Sunday until an 81-yard catch-and-run on a wheel route blew up his line on the stat sheet. The Logan Thomas pass kept the Cardinals in the game with the Broncos, but Ellington had been contributing all day before that anyway. His five-yard run in the second quarter brought the Cardinals within a point at 14-13. Catanzaro continues to perform like one of the best kickers in the world, knocking in kicks from 33 and 48 yards away in the first quarter. He is now a perfect 11-for-11 on the season, including 4-for-4 from 40 yards away or farther.
San Diego 31, NY Jets 0
SD: Kavell Conner 4 tackles (3 solo)
Marcus Gilchrist 1 solo tackle, 2 PBUs
Conner and Gilchrist are thriving in a resurgent Chargers defense. Conner got a ton of playing time this week in the interior of San Diego’s linebacking corps. Gilchrist was active in pass coverage, as evidenced by his two pass breakups.